Desert Racing explained by Ty Davis - Dirt Rider

When most people envision desert racing or even riding west of the Rockies, the first thing that pops to mind is miles of whoop-de-dos. Normally, the least difficult way to tackle them is at high speed so your bike just skims across the peaks. This requires a good suspension setup, which reduces the pounding you and your bike will take. However, it means more than just hitting the trail or track with the throttle jammed wide open. Avoiding a day-ruining rock or a downed rider (or a photographer) is one of the usual challenges you'll encounter while flying over the whoops."Looking ahead is vital at high speeds. I constantly pan my eyes back and forth the entire time," Davis said."Keeping the front end light by putting your weight over the back will also allow you to change directions a lot more quickly.""When an obstacle is in the way, I try to use one of the whoops to launch my bike in one direction or the other to avoid hitting it.""You may be able to time it so you can use a bunny-hop method--this is more technical than simply switching directions since the move requires good timing skills to pull off. Hit the whoop before it a little harder, which will cause you to G-out into it.""Then lift up with the rebound of the bike and chop the throttle, which will keep the wheel up in the air longer and allow you to clear your obstacle. "Remember: Be realistic and practice this move before you try it in a race."